There Will Always Be Hope
by ElvesAreEpic
Summary: After clashing with Thranduil, Aragorn leaves Mirkwood in haste forcing an already injured Legolas to go after him. Will they make it back together? Or will Thranduil lose all hope of ever seeing his son alive again…
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I am here once again! (It took me long enough). Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next story and though it starts out a bit slow, I promise that it will pick up here soon! **

**Disclaimer: not mine. **

There Will Always Be Hope

Chapter One

Aragorn shifted nervously in his seat, playing absently with his knife while glancing through the window and towards the fading sun. He had been sitting here for the better part of an hour, waiting for the, hopefully soon, arrival of his friend, Legolas.

The relatively young ranger, only in his mid-twenties, had traveled the far distance to Mirkwood wishing to see his friend after a long absence on both of their part. He had never spent much time in the forest, Legolas usually coming to see him so this was really the first time he had visited Mirkwood _all alone _and it was a little intimidating.

Catching sight of a passing servant, Aragorn leapt to his feet, grabbing the other's arm and effectively pulling him to a stop.

"I was sent there to wait for word from Prince Legolas…you wouldn't by chance have any from him?" Aragorn asked in elvish, apprehensive clear in his voice. As mentioned before, the few times he had come here, he been with the twins or Legolas, and he wondered slightly if this was normal.

"I will tell him that you are here…please wait." the servant said softly, turning away and walking gracefully down the hall.

"Hannon Le!" Aragorn called after him, sinking tiredly back into the chair. It had been a long day, and all he wanted to do was see his friend and then go to sleep for a week…

A soft touch on his shoulder awakened him, and Aragon straightened instantly in his chair, glancing around anxiously with sleep glazed eyes."Wh ―what is it?" he asked, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

The same fair haired elf that he had spoken to earlier towered above him, a slight smile on his handsome features. "Come, Prince Legolas awaits." He said in the gentle tones of the elves, gliding away.

Aragorn jumped to his feet, hurrying after the elf as he blinked sleep from his eyes. He hoped that this time he really would get to see his friend instead of being handed off to someone else and be told wait like the last few times.

As the man took, rushed, long strides to keep up with the quick, gracefully steps of the elf, he began to recognize the long, winding, hallways. They were headed in the right direction to get to the royal rooms…at last they were making some progress.

Finally they reached their destination, a beautifully carved, mahogany door that lead to Legolas' chambers. Hushed, elven voice could be heard through the wood, though Aragorn was unable to decipher the words.

The elf who had lead him hither glanced a look about at the human, motioning for him to stay there, before slipping through the door and shutting it swiftly behind him, allowing Aragorn a quick glimpse of the dimly light room before he was again left in the darkness of the hallway.

Behind the door, the voices fell silent, before they started up again a second later, quieter than before…_as if afraid that I might listen in! _Aragorn thought with a sinking feeling. Leaning back against the wall, he let out a huff of air, frustrated beyond means with how his first day in Mirkwood had gone.

Just as the man was setting in for a long wait, however, the door slide open and Aragorn straightened, a smile spreading across his lips at the thought of finally seeing his elven friend ―only it wasn't Legolas. In fact, he had no clue who the elf was who walked passed him and down the hall.

This elf was followed by several others, some sparing him a glance or nod while others simply swept by. Not one of them was Legolas. Finally there came a stop to the line of elves, leaving Aragorn unsure of what to do now.

Peaking around the edge of the door, he stopped when he came face to face with Thranduil, King of Mirkwood.

"Your Majesty," Aragorn said instantly, pulling back and bowing his head swiftly as the king looked at him with stern, blue eyes.

"My son wishes to see you, ranger of the North, alone." The king said after a moment of silence. His voice was hard and cold, through Aragorn detected another emotion, what almost sounded like sadness. "I honor his wish, though it is not my first choice too."

Glancing up, Aragorn finally met the intimidating blue eyes, glancing around in hope for Legolas to appear and save him for this situation. The king still scared him slightly, being so different from that of the elves he had grown up with, so hard, cold, and serious…a mask, Aragorn had often thought.

"Yes, Hir-nin."/my lord/ He said softly, keeping his eyes locked with the king's in hopes to show that he was not as frightened as he felt. Thranduil gave no other acknowledgement of the human, instead sweeping past him and out of his sight.

Aragorn waited for a moment, hesitating on the threshold, before slipping through the door and into the interior.

Legolas looked up slowly from the bed, a bright, welcoming smile spread across his handsome features. "Estel, it is good to see you, mellon-nin." He whispered.

"Legolas," Aragorn replied, his voice catching slightly as he hurried forward towards his friend who lay propped up by several pillows on his side. His face was a pasty white, a bright sheen of sweat making his face and torso shine in the soft candlelight.

"What happened?" the man asked, concern coloring his voice as he bent low, crouching slightly so he could be at eye level with his friend. Legolas brushed if off, choosing instead to ask a question of his own as he locked eyes with the grey ones staring so intently back at him.

"Sit down…How long have you been in Mirkwood?"

Aragorn rolled his eyes, straightening up at the prince's request and moving to sit on the bed next to his friend. "Again, what happened? It would ease my heart to know."

A slight flash of pain wove itself across Legolas features as the mattress shifted and dipped under the man's weight, but his usually façade was in place seconds later, hiding from all those except who knew him best the true pain he was in.

"An orc managed to get past my defensive that is all. It is nothing serious, I am fine." The elf prince answered, rolling his head back slightly on the pillow so he could better look at the young ranger.

"Nothing serious?!" Aragorn cried in disbelief, his healing senses instantly cataloging all that wasn't fine with the prince.

"Yes, nothing serious." Legolas answered, his fever bright eyes alight with humor as he let a small, chocking, laugh out to accompany his words. He was forced to stop as his face paled considerable and groan of pain of forced its way past his lips. His eyes closed momentarily as he breathed deeply, sucking in air to battle the force of the pain, and letting his head loll to the side to find a cooler spot on the pillow.

"Where is your medication?" Aragorn instantly asked, concern lining his tone. Legolas wordlessly pointed, his finger trembling, towards the bedside table that was heaped with bottles and herbs of all sort.

The ranger stood swiftly, briefly catching the elf's hand as he passed and giving it a light squeeze, before hurriedly mixing up a strong dosage of medication and putting to good use the knowledge that he had learned from Elrond.

"What happened to the orc?" he asked as he measured out a specific amount from a bottle.

"I killed it." Legolas replied, the humor from before now and gone and replaced with a tightness brought on by pain.

Aragorn smirked, letting a smile flash across his face. Of course Legolas had killed it, in fact, Aragorn would beat money that the prince only stopped killing orcs after passing out from either agony or blood loss. Turning back, he held a mug, full of a nasty smelling concoction.

"Here, drink this for me." he said, reaching down and sliding his hand under Legolas head and bringing it up slightly so that he could drink.

"What if I don't want too?" Legolas replied, scrunching up his nose at the smell and turning his head away. Aragorn snorted, rolling his eyes,

"Then I'll force you too." He threatened, placing the rim against the elf's lips and tipping it forward. The elven prince shot a glare at the human, but reluctantly took a gulp of the herbs, swallowing quickly until the cup was empty.

"There, see, that wasn't so hard." Aragorn teased, sitting back down on the side of the bed and pulling a bowl of cold water towards him. Wringing out a cold cloth, he placed it gently against Legolas's brow.

"You weren't the one drinking it" Legolas pointed out, closing his eyes as the fire that seemed to burning his skin relented to the cold water as it touched him. "You ―" he began but paused to take a deep breath and collect his thoughts as his mind wandered, edging upon the path of sleep. "You got to do the drugging…big difference…"

Aragorn smiled, shushing the elf and telling him to sleep. His eyes kept drifting back to the white, thick, bandages wrapped around his friend, itching to know what the wound was and _how _bad it was…but he wanted to wait until the elf slept before doing so in an attempt to cause the prince the least amount of pain possible.

"Legolas…Legolas…" he whispered, once it appeared that Legolas was sleeping, as he touched him lightly on the shoulder. The elf made no reply, his eyes half closed and vacant with sleep.

Reaching gingerly out, Aragorn pulled the light colored bed sheets down to the elf's waist, revealing the end of the bandages and the beginning of comfortable, loose leggings. The prince still didn't stir, and Aragorn began to undo the bandages, glancing ever now and then at his friend.

Carefully prying back the edges of the cloth, Aragorn was met with an ugly sight. On Legolas's back, from his left shoulder to his side, stretched a horrendous wound, leaving Aragorn praying to the Valar with thanks that his friend had survived it at all. Vital vertebrates had been missed, apparently, by mere centimeters sparing the prince's function movements and life.

The wound itself was red and swollen, a sure sign of infection, which wasn't uncommon in a wound of that size. The Mirkwood healers, Aragorn noticed, had done a fantastic job of stitching up the tender, slightly puckered skin.

Sighing with fear, the ranger carefully replaced the bandages, making sure they were firmly in place before he pulled the blankets back up to cover his friend, gently smoothing them out so that they lay flat. Moving to the chair next to the bed, Aragorn sat back and concentrated on his friend, wanting to keep watch until the next time the elf's eyes would clear.

THEWILLALWAYSBEHOPE

Thranduil strode gracefully down the hall. He wanted to see his son, and no human was going to stop him from doing so.

Pushing the wooden door open without a sound, the king made straight for Legolas's bed and was surprised by what he found. Both his son and the ranger where fast asleep. Aragorn lay with his head back against a chair, his mouth open and snoring softly, an abounded cloth was held in his limp fingers.

Giving a sigh of exasperation, Thranduil relived the human of it, before soaking it in the now luke-warm water. Pressing it against his son's heated brow, the king shushed him gently as Legolas stirred, moaning fitfully.

"Shh, Legolas…go back to sleep." he whispered, moving the sweet slicked strands of hair back behind an elegantly pointed ear.

"Ada?" Legolas asked his voice husky with sleep. Gazing down at his son, Thranduil let a smile touch his lips as he noticed the still slept fogged eyes.

"Yes, it is I, young one. Just relax and sleep." He murmured, though it sounded like an order.

"No, I am well." Legolas whispered back, keeping his voice low so as not to wake the human asleep next to him.

"I do not believe that ion-nin. Listen to what the healers have told you. You need rest." Thranduil said, lightly touching the prince's face, bidding him to go back to the world of blissfully pain free dreams.

"Ada, wait, I want to talk with you for a moment….about Estel." Legolas asked, twisting slightly was he could look deep into his father's blue eyes.

"What about him?" Thranduil responded, his voice growing hard as he threw a glance at the snoring human.

"Ada, Estel is a good person, loyal and true with a good heart. Why do you judge him so just because he is human?"

"Because I know his kind." Thranduil replied, standing in a swift motion and starting down at his soon. "They are weak, living only in this world for an instant of ours. This human that you have befriended so easily will die, leaving you with nothing but a grieving heart…tis best not to face it in the first place."

"But if we just shut them out, then we miss out on all they _do _have to offer. I have learned many things for Estel. There is good in them!" Legolas shot back, working up the effort to raise himself up on an elbow, his eyes pleading with his father to see it his way.

"And evil also."Thranduil retorted, anger starting to lace the tone of his voice. He began to pace back and forth in a short, angry steps, his face grim and set as he thought back on his many years of dealing with men.

"But you only _see_ the evil, not the good." Legolas protested, thumping the bed beneath his body with the palm of his hand as his own frustration grew. "Ada…please, I'm not asking you to ―to change your view of all men. I'm just asking that you try and accept Estel for who he is…stop looking at him as just a human." He finished, sinking back the bed with a low moan and resting his head against the pillows.

Thranduil stopped his pacing, looking over at his too pale son as the words he wanted to speak faded from his lips. Legolas looked so desperate, his blue eyes opened wide with hope as he waited for his father response, pleading with the king to side with him on this one issue.

Thranduil resolve to say an instant no crumbled. How could he, when Legolas was looking at him like that."Fine!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air as a gesture of defeat. "I will _try._" He grunted with a huff of air.

Legolas let a wide smile grace his handsome features as he gazed up at his father. "Hannon le, ada. I won't forget this…" he said softly, his voice happy as he cushioned his head on his arm. Thranduil let out an exasperated sigh, moving back to his son's side.

"Go back to sleep." He murmured, reseating himself in a straight back chair next to the bed.

**TBC…**

**Well, there is no cliffe on the first chapter this time! You guys should be grateful. I promise that the action will pick up here soon and expect an update next week. Until next time! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thanks for all those who reviewed/favrioted/followed! Oh, and to answer Diamond's Rose's question and, just in case anyone else was wondering, this story is NOT slash. None of my stories will ever be slash. **

**Disclaimer: not mine**

Chapter Two

Aragorn blinked his eyes open, slowly stretching as his eyes adjusted to the light of early morning. Not but two feet away lay Legolas, his head was turned towards the ranger but his eyes were unfocused and hazy in elven sleep, the paleness of his face enhanced by the whiteness of the sheets.

"He is the same, if you are wondering." A deep voice sounded from next to Aragorn, causing the human to jump with surprise.

"Your highness." Aragorn greeted the king, bowing his head in respect before looking at Legolas' father. The king sat regally in the chair opposite him, his long blond hair fell around his shoulder and onto the silver rob that he wore. His ageless face was lined with weary and worry, as if he had not slept since Legolas was injured.

Thranduil did not answer, instead moving his gaze to back to son, deep love filling his eyes. Aragorn also turned back, gently placing the back of his hand of his friend's brow and testing his temperature. It remained the same just as Thranduil had said.

With a disgruntled sigh, the human reached over and tugged at the bandages, hoping to see the change in the wound that would be uplifting.

"The healers have already seen to it this morning." Thranduil said swiftly, moving in closer to his son and placing a firm hand on his bare shoulder. "There is no need for you to do so as well."

"I do not doubt your healer's abilities, if that is what you meant. I just wanted to see for myself." Aragorn said stiffly, sitting back in his seat with a masked expression on his face. Thranduil raised his eyebrows, regarding the human across from him intently.

Aragorn, feeling the stare, focused in the bed coverings, refusing to fidget or show any sign of fear during the examination. A low snort from the king drew his attention upwards again.

"Humans…" Thranduil whispered, still staring directly at the young ranger as he cocked his head to the side. Suddenly he sat forward, an intent and curious look on his face. "Why does Legolas place such high regard in you?" he asked.

Aragorn froze, unsure of how to answer the question.

"I don't know myself, your highness." He finally said, shaking his head.

"But you're a human." Thranduil pressed. "He hasn't had that much to do with your kind."

"I like to think that Legolas looked past all that, and befriened me for who I am." Aragorn replied carefully a hard note creeping into his voice. He felt like he was being boxed into a corner. He wasn't, Thranduil wasn't purposefully trying to intimidate him, but it happened all the same.

Legolas shifted between the two, a low moan escaping his lips. Instantly both ranger and king where focusing in on him, instead of each other.

"Don't…" the prince whispered, blinking his eyes clear and scrunching up his face as the pain that had disappeared as he slept came rushing back with a ferocity that surprised him.

"Don't what?" Thranduil asked, brushing back a strand of damp hair and tucking it behind his son's ear.

"Fight…Don't fight." Legolas insisted, his voice weak and soft as he attempted to look at both his father and friend at the same time.

"We weren't, Legolas." Aragorn assured, glancing at the King before touching the injured elf's shoulder reassuringly.

"Right ―" the prince snorted softly, rolling his eyes.

"Legolas." Thranduil said strictly, waiting for his son to turn towards him before continuing. "Go back to sleep."

"Ada ―" Legolas instantly protested, not appreciating being cut off so abruptly. "I don't need to go back to sleep! I am fine!"

"Fine, yes, I am sure." Thranduil responded sarcastically, standing gracefully and frowning down at the young elf. "Sleep." He ordered before sweeping gracefully towards the door. "I will be back, you had better have listened to Me." he finished with a threat, before the door swung shut.

Legolas sighed, turning to face Aragorn more fully, an apologetic smile on his face. "Give my father time. He will come around." Aragorn snorted, staring at the elf with disbelief written across his features.

"The only way I see that happening is if I do some great deed worthy of the elves!" he protested, shaking his head with frustration.

"It might come down to that, yes, but I think it will come about through the small acts. Wait and see." Legolas insisted, carefully pillowing his head on his arm as he stared at Elrond's son.

"I'll do that." Aragorn replied, disagreement echoing through his tone.

THEREWILLALWAYSBEHOPE

The next few days passed quickly, and Legolas swiftly approved. The infection in his wound began to decrease, as did his fever, much to the relief of everybody concerned. In fact, when Legolas woke up mid-morning of the fourth day since Aragorn had arrived, he found himself practically alone. Thranduil was gone, nowhere to be seen, and Aragorn was sound asleep in the chair next to his bed. .

Rejoicing in his short freedom from prying question, Legolas slowly stretched out, ignoring the twinges of pain shooting up and down his back. He felt so much better today than he had in a while, the chills from the fever where gone and the pain killers where doing a superb job.

In fact, Legolas thought as a smirk turned his lips upward, well enough to be out of bed. It was high time, according to him. Giving a guilty glance at the sleeping man, Legolas pushed his hands underneath his body and slowly rose. The pain escalated, but the prince ignored it as he shifted into a sitting position using carefully calculated moves.

Bright yellow spots danced before his eyes, and Legolas almost allowed a groan to leave his lips, but stopped it before it was fully formed in fear of giving himself away to Aragorn. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead against the cool, wooden bedpost and let a small breath escape his lips as he struggled internally.

When the room finally stopped spinning in front of his eyes, Legolas found himself with a dilemma. He could both give standing up as a bad idea and lay back down, or he could continue forth with his plan. It didn't take him long to decide, for Legolas was no quitter.

Next to the bed, Aragorn let out a soft grunt, shifting in his seat as he dreamed on. Legolas froze hands still gripping the bed, and watch the man intently for moment, trying to detect how fast asleep the man really was.

Aragorn didn't move again and Legolas sighed in relief, heaving himself up from the bed with one graceful movement.

Instantly, pain coursed through his body and his knees buckled with the strain of keeping himself up right, the knuckles on his hands grew white with the effort of clinging to his bed —and then everything went black.

When he regained his senses, it was too a frantic Aragorn leaning over him with a wild eyed expression. "Legolas, oh thank the Valar! What did you think you were _doing_?" he rattled off, moving both hands down so that bracketed the elf's pale face.

Legolas groaned aloud, the familiar fingers of pain wrapping themselves around his body as his sense began to return. "Hush, Estel, I'm fine." He moaned, pushing the man's hands away from him. Aragorn paused in his tirade for a moment, giving the prince an incredulous look.

"You're about as fine as my heart when I woke up to find you sprawled senseless on the floor!" he retorted, kneeling up straighter and folding his arms in anger. "What did you think you were doing?"

Legolas didn't answer, closing his eyes and attempting to relax against the cold, hard floor as he back sent urgent messages of pain straight to his brain. Cringing, he arched his back, letting out a muffled cry as the pain became too much. His fingers shot up, fisting in Aragorn tunic and pulling the man down slightly.

A moment later, the pain eased up and Legolas slowly let out a pent up breath. Aragorn was gazing at him with concern, both hands holding down the elf just in case Legolas somehow managed to hurt himself during the fit.

"Are you well now?" Aragorn asked. "Do you think that you can make it back to the bed?"

Legolas nodded, his face flushing with embarrassment, before allowing the man to heave him to his feet.

"Come one, easy does it." The human murmured, gently guiding the elf forward as Legolas let out another low hiss, clutching to Aragorn for support.

"And just what is going on here?" come a sudden deep and slow voice form the doorway, causing both human and elf to jump with surprise. Aragorn spun around, twirling Legolas in the same direction with him without thinking.

King Thranduil stood in the doorway, face stern and impassive.

"Ada…." Legolas voiced after of a moment of guilty silence.

"I repeat," Thranduil said voice tight with what could only be anger. "What is going on here?" Both Aragorn and Legolas did not answer, staring down at the ground like young children caught in the act of doing something wrong.

**TBC…**

**Oh dear, I don' think that this is going to end well so well for our favorite ranger, but you guys will just have to wait to see what is going to happen… **

**Thanks so much once again for reviewing. As most of you saw, I am trying a new method of replying. Tell me which way you like better. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Thanks to all you amazing people! The action is finally started to speed up some, and will pick up even more in the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: not mine**

Chapter Three

Thranduil took a step forward in the room, face stern and hands held behind his back. Suddenly, his face changed, going from severe to worried in one blink.

"You're bleeding, ion."/son/ he stated, moving quickly forward. Both Aragorn and Legolas gaped at him for a moment, before the human glanced down and cringed when he discovered that the king was right. Bright crimson was starting to seep through Legolas's light colored sleeping tunic.

"Go and fetch the healers." Thranduil snapped at the man, relieving him of his burden with a cold glare.

"But—"Aragorn protested with a loud voice. Thranduil whipped around, a fire in his eyes as he spoke again, his voice low and dangerous.

"You have done enough damage here, do as I have said and _fetch the healers!"_

Aragorn darted for the door, surprised by the ferocity in the elf's normally impassive face, before racing down the hallway and towards the healing rooms.

Panting heavily, he returned to Legolas's room a few minutes later with a hoard of healers in tow. The elves rushed past him, blocking the young ranger's access to the room. Giving a pained sigh, Aragorn crossed his arms impatiently, waiting for the elves to allow him in.

When the last healer had flew past him, Aragorn swung around, ready to duck into the room and help, only to find Thranduil blocking the door, a frosty look on his face.

"You are not needed here, ranger of the north." He said, firmly slamming the door, but not before Aragorn caught Legolas's angry protest against the king's words. The door did not reopen, however, and Aragorn swung around in anger, aiming a kick of frustration at the wall.

Sinking down to sit against the wall, he started dumbfoundly at the stone floor, a thousand thoughts racing through his head. If he would have just stayed awake, then Legolas would not to have to see the healers again, Thranduil would not be mad, and he would not be sitting here on the cold floor.

Huffing at himself, Aragorn braced his elbow on his raised knee, his fingers curling in his dark hair as he thought. Young as he was, the ranger had yet to realize that not everything could be his fault, that sometimes things happen that were out of his control. He could not be responsible for everything that happened to people who were under his care.

Aragorn easily sunk into the trap of self-blame as he sat there, alone with his thoughts and feelings.

THEREWILLALWAYSBEHOPE

The door swinging open was the first thing to recapture Aragorn's attention as he sat against the wall, staring blankly at the floor. Jerking his head upwards, the man locked his eyes with Thranduil, a look of mixed fear and anxiousness spread across his face.

"How is he?" the ranger asked, scrambling to his feet so that he was not longer gazing up at the king.

"He tore thirteen of his stitches." Thranduil said softly and dangerously. "_Thirteen, _ranger. I thought you where suppose to be watching him." he accused, lashing out at Aragorn with his anger and fear.

The king's famous temper had always been short when someone he was close to was injured; in a way fearing that if he had just done something different, switched a patrol, changed a biting word, then the outcome would have been different..

Aragorn, feeling almost exactly as the king did, reacted badly to the elf's words.

"My lord." he said bluntly, sticking his chin out defiantly. "Excuses me, but I am going in to see Legolas." Striding past the elf his fingers curled around the cold door knob to Legolas's room. A second later a crushing grip encircled his wrist, ending all movement.

"Legolas is sleeping." Thranduil whispered, raising his eyebrows as he stared the ranger down. Aragorn took a deep breath, attempting to wiggle his hand free from the king.

"All I am going to do is sit with him!" he snarled, his own temper quickly rising. "I won't wake him!"

"Your right, you won't." Thranduil continued, jerking the human's hand away from the door as he began to march him down the hall.

"Let. Me. Go." Aragorn hissed, dragging his heels as he yanked and twisted his hand, desperately to be free of the king's tightening fingers. "You are not my king!"Abruptly, Thranduil let go and Aragorn was sent sprawling, hitting the ground with a thud.

"No, I am not." He said, twirling on the spot. "But you are currently in my realm which means I _do_ hold a certain power over you."

"My father is Elrond, you can't do anything to me." Aragorn snapped in return jumping angrily to his feet and crossing his arms, raising his head in defiance.

"There, you are wrong." Thranduil deliberately said, his voice lowering as he stepped closer, invading the man's personal space. The fire in his eyes was now flashing vehemently, his temper about exploded with a force like a volcano. "I _can_ send you to your quarters just like I would to the child you are acting like!"

Aragorn's grey eyes grew dark, his facing paling dramatically as he stared back at the king with unspeakable anger. Swilling around on his heel with disgust the man strode away, head held high and back rigid. He _would not_ be sent to his room, _would not_ be humiliated in such a way, and _would not_ answer to a king who saw so little in him.

His anger did not dissipate at all as he stormed through the palace, not really knowing where he was going as long as it was away from the King of Mirkwood. The elves around him continued on with their daily lives and Aragorn eventually found his way to the stables.

Here was a friend he knew would never hurt his feelings or tell him he was unwanted, Aragorn mused as he ran his hand soothingly along his horse's dark, shinning pelt. The horse nickered softly, digging her nose in his shoulder as he petted her.

"It's just me and you girl, against the world it seems." Aragorn murmured into her velvety ear, creasing it fondly. "What do you say we go for a ride, huh, forget about everything for while. After all, Legolas probably won't wake up for the rest of the day. No one else wants us here right now anyway." He continued dejectedly, moving towards the wall where his saddle and bridle lay.

Saddling up his faithful stead, Aragorn rode along the safety of the elven path, not really caring where he ending up.

The summer sun was blocked from sight as the gigantic trees towering overhead blocked it out, making the path dimmer, but there was quite peacefulness in the woods that calmed the ranger soul and helped him think more rationally.

He would have to go back and ask forgiveness from Thranduil, even if he felt that it was unneeded. Wasn't he trying to prove to the king what humans where worth? Was not this the perfect opportunity to show that?

"Or it would be if I could convince my pride of that." Aragorn confessed to his horse, knowing full well that while it might be easy to say the words now that his pride was going to be a major problem when it came to _actually _saying them.

His horse snorted softly in reply, tossing her glossy head. Aragorn let out an almost laugh, patting her. Content to continue on with his wandering, the ranger let the horse take the lead, losing himself in thought as he rode.

The trees around him grew steadily darker, and the air fouler as a sense of evilness seeped in. The little sunlight there had been before was all but cut out, the trees seeming to stretch to block out all its glorious rays that could lighten the hearts of those who dared trod the ground.

Aragorn realized all this abruptly, a lurch of panic causing his heart to drop to his stomach. It seemed that his aimless traveling had lead him toward the south part of Mirkwood, which was dark and evil, not fair and light like the area around Thranduil's palace.

All the tales Elladan and Elrohir had told him about Mirkwood's evilness to scare him as a child suddenly came flooding back into Aragorn's mind, as did Legolas's numerous and often repeated warning to never, _never, _enter that area alone. Horrible and dangerous creatures and things dwelt here, and here Aragorn was, stumbling in.

Swallowing raggedly, Aragorn quickly turned his horse around, wanting to get out of there as quickly as he could. The forest around him remained silent, far too silent for Aragorn's peace of mind and the man pushed down the fear that was bubbling up inside as the hair on the back o his neck stood on end.

_Just leave, leave now and everything will turn out fine_. Aragorn told himself, spurring his horse faster down the path he had come. Reaching down, he unlocked his sword from its sheath, pulling it slightly out, just in case.

The horse clipped along, spooking at any sudden noises which also had Aragorn sitting stiffly and tense.

Rounding a bend, Aragorn was suddenly struck with inspiration. If he left the path, he could cut through the middle of trees and get back to the palace and then he would be able to cut the travel back time in half, which would also lessen the time he spent in the dark part of the forest!

Laughing lightly at the thought of escaping the heavy darkness which seemed to radiate from the trees, Aragorn pushed the small voice of warning to the back of his mind. He could do this; he was a ranger, after all. How much darker could the forest be off the path then on the path? What could go wrong? Nothing. He told himself firmly.

Too young he was, to realize the danger of his overconfidence, how brash and stupid this idea was. He had not yet seen enough of the world to know that in the big picture, it was better to just do it the right way first, then to take the seemingly easier and faster way around.

Nudging his horse forward, Aragorn turned her off the path and into the ever darkening trees, a smile on his face.

"Come on, let's get back." He said softly, starting off on his short cut.

**TBC…**

**Oh dear oh dear. Estel had got himself into a pickle now hasn't he! I wonder how Legolas and Thranduil will react to finding him gone…knowing them, not well. **

**Review Responses: **

**Nameless: **Here I am! Hopefully this update was soon enough for you! (I plan on updating once a week) Thanks!

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**Nameless: **Yikes indeed. I would for sure not want to see Thranduil mad. Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N You people are amazing, no lie! Thanks for reviewing, I cherish every single one of them! Don't forget, you can tell me anything, good or bad. **

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.**

Chapter Four

Legolas stirred slowly underneath the warm blankets, struggling to come to full awareness. His mind was fuzzy and unclear, an almost sure sign that he had been drugged to sleep. The pain in his back was numbed, only tingling slightly as he shifted, again a result form the drug.

Prying his eyes open, the prince blinked his surrounding into focus, gazing up at the high ceiling as he tried to comprehend what had happened. Something had happened, something that made the healers drug him again…

Suddenly the prince snorted, remembering. He had fallen, attempting to get out of bed, and torn his stitches. The smile on his face slide right off a second later, however, as more of his memory returned. Harsh words had been spoken between his father and Estel, and he feared how much worse it may have gotten after he had been forcefully drugged by the healers.

_No, no, no!_ He thought angrily, pushing himself up into a sitting position. He had worked so hard to have peace between the two; could it have been destroyed so easily? He needed to find the pair and assess the damage done before anything else drastic happened.

Thranduil was not the room, unfortunately, and neither was Aragorn. This made Legolas scowl slightly.

"Mother-Henning me every second of the day, and then when I finally need them, there're gone!" Legolas growled sarcastically as he hauled himself to his feet. This time, he held onto the bed post until the world stopped going around in circles, hindering disaster.

When at last he felt like he could stand without falling over, Legolas took a careful step forward. The room wavered slightly, but it was not as bad as the prince had feared it might be and for once in his life Legolas thanked the healers for drugging his senses so much that he couldn't feel anything.

Staggering off, Legolas slowly found his strength so that by time he reached the front gate and stepped into the bright sunlight he was no longer weaving like a drunkard. Glancing around the gardens, Legolas looked for his father or Aragorn, knowing that this was a likely spot for either of them to be.

It didn't appear to be any sign of either and Legolas was just about to go back inside, away from the wonderfully fresh air and smells, when someone called his name.

Turning away, Legolas smiled as he caught sight another elf, dark-haired and tall, striding towards him.

"Legolas," he called out again as a greeting. "I thought the healers where still forcing you to stay closeted away in bed." He said cheerfully, a wide smile on his pleasant features. Legolas grinned back, shaking his head.

"They can't hold me back!" he joked, omitting the part about that the healers were not even aware that he was out of bed. "Have you by chance see Estel or my father?" he asked, getting directly to the point. The other elf stood still for a second, thinking, and then he nodded.

"Your human friend was talking to his horse in the stable when I was in there a while back." He replied. "I think he went riding not soon after that."

"Riding?" Legolas questioned, his heart suddenly thumping faster. He didn't like where this was going, not at all. "Has he returned yet…?"

"Not that I have seen." H is friend replied, shrugging lightly. "Should I be concerned at all?" he asked back, eyeing Legolas expression as the elf had turned paler at his words.

"No" Legolas replied slowly, his mind far away. Maybe he was just being overprotective of the young man, but he didn't feel comfortable at all with the ranger riding off one his own yet in Mirkwood. Aragorn could be impulsive when he wanted too, which had often landed him in trouble.

"Do you need help looking for him?" the other elf asked, bringing Legolas back to reality.

"No, I'll find Estel." Legolas stated assured, turning and hurrying towards the stables. However, neither Aragorn nor his horse was there, much to the discouragement of the Mirkwood prince.

_You need to ride out and find Estel, who knows what could have happened to one human riding alone in an evil forest. _A nagging voice inside of Legolas' head whispered as he prince made his way back to his room. _A wounded elf won't be much good to him. _Legolas's good sense snapped back as he slipped back into his rom. _Ada is who is needed. He will send warriors out to look for him._

_Yes, but it will be dark before they can be gathered and Ada won't send warriors out until morning. _Legolas argued with himself, ripping his worn, leather pack open and throwing in anything that might prove useful. _The spiders would easily rip him to pieces, if they so desired…._

That cemented Legolas decision to go. Let his father be angry with him, as he knew that he would be. If he did try and convince his father to let him go, he knew the answer would be a firm no, not while he was still injured.

But Legolas had to go help Aragorn, he couldn't leave him out there alone, not with danger lurking at every corner. Finishing tightening the straps on his pack, Legolas turned to the confusing jumble of herbs resting on a table, he if was going to do this then he would need the painkillers, because whether he liked it or not, the pain needed to be diminished.

Picking apart the leaves with nimble fingers, Legolas gazed down at them with a confused frown. He knew little about herbs, only the basic, but what he needed was strong painkillers…something that would efficiently block out the pain, but leave his mind clear.

Picking up a certain leaf, Legolas suddenly smiled as an old memory hit him. One time when he was younger, he had been severally injured but due to the circumstances that they were in, he had been forced to stay awake. This was the herb, he was almost positive, that they had given him then. He remembered, because he had carefully examined, asking the healer present questions about it too keep his mind focused.

Pocketing the plant for later, when he would really need it, Legolas reached for his bow and quiver. Carefully, the prince eased the leather straps over his head and across his back, instinctively fighting back a moan of pain as the rough pieces where pressed against his already hurting back.

The bow came next, and though that wasn't quite as painful, it still made him cringe. Finally, though he was ready to go.

Slipping through the door, Legolas gracefully snuck along. He knew very well how to sneak in and out of the palace, having done so many times now that he was well practiced in the art and he was able to make it to the stable without mishap.

A soft breeze lifted the hair off Legolas' shoulders as he lead his brown stallion out into the sunlight. It wouldn't be long, only an hour or two, until evening was upon them and Legolas's plan was to make the most out of it that he could, so without further ado, he was off, his keen eyes tracking the ranger's horse as he went.

It become increasingly clear as Legolas rode along that Aragorn had been heading for the south side of Mirkwood. This piece of information made Legolas curse rather loudly, making a small bug nearby fly off in fright. He was going to kill Estel. He was going to kill him, because had not Legolas repeated warned the ranger about wondering off on his own —and now what had he done, exactly that.

Swearing again, the elf slide off his horse, lightly gripping the horse's mane as his head swam, before stalking over to the man's horses hoof prints, where they smilingly disappeared off the path. Legolas's keen eyes, however, where able to find them again, leading off the path and into the ever darkening forest.

Not only was he going to kill Estel, but he was going to make it slow and painful as well. What in the name of Middle-earth had processed Aragorn to cut across the stretch of land! He was a ranger for crying out loud, he should have known better!

Legolas turned back to his horse, calling her over to his side and swinging across her back again. Now he had to go riding through a spider infested land…there was a reason, after all, that the path went out of its way to go around that section of forest.

As Aragorn had done mere hours ago, Legolas and his faithful horse disappeared into the woody plants.

THEREWILLALWAYSBEHOPE

Aragorn twisted agitatedly in the saddle, glancing behind him before swiftly looking to the front again. His horse whined nervously, pulling up to a halt as a strange call suddenly reverberated through the dark, dank, and menacing trees. The man jumped, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he squinted through the dimming light, trying to see what it was that had made the noise.

Nothing was there, or at least nothing that he could see. The animal called out again for the second time, seemingly much nearer to the on edge man. Spinning towards the direction the noise had come from, Aragorn held his breath, eyes wide with fright. Nothing moved again, however, and the ranger started the mare forward again.

"I am a ranger, a son of Elrond. Stop it." He muttered to himself, licking his dry lips as his hand fell to his sword.

The horse took a hesitant step forward, neighing softly in protest and shaking her magnificent head.

"Come on, girl, it shouldn't be that much farther..."Aragorn whispered, trying to calm his spooked horse. "Come one." He repeated, nudging her forward.

Suddenly a large flock of months erupted directly in front of them, scaring the horse and causing her to rear up, almost throwing Aragorn as he wrapped his arms around her neck for safety. This was the last straw for the horse and she bolted, crashing and tearing through the trees despite Aragorn's panicked shouts for her to stop.

The ranger swore loudly, clinging so tight to his horse neck that his knuckles began to whiten, but despite his best efforts, the trees contained to flay past at an alarming rate, creating a sickening blur of greens and browns.

Abruptly, the horse stopped sides heavy and painted in sweat, with a panicked scream. Aragorn, unfortunately, did not stop and was sent tumbling over the horses head as his momentum forced him to carry on. Then the strangest thing occurred.

Just as the ranger was closing his eyes in preparation for impact of the ground, he stopped with a sticky thwack, upright and in mid air. It was then that Aragorn felt something thin, almost like a rope, press against the side of his face. It was no rope, however, he realized in a second. It was sticky and slimy, much like a spider's web, which he realized a half a second later as his heart dropped, it was.

Prying his eyes open, Aragorn whimpered slightly in fear, looking down to find himself firmly attached to the sticky substance. His horse also was caught a few feet away, screaming in terror as it tried to evacuate its self form the substance which had caused its abrupt stop.

"Shh, girl." Aragorn called out, voice muffled as his face was pressed against the webbing. He really, really, didn't want to attract anything right now… he really didn't want them to be dinner. Glancing up to the best of his abilities, Aragorn scanned the distance trees tops, trying to see if the spider that had built the webs was still there.

It wasn't, but Aragorn knew only frightfully to well that that could change in a moment, they needed to escape now, before it was too late. Suddenly desperate, Aragorn began to struggling with the webbing sticking to his right hand. All he had to do was free that, then he would be able to reach his knife and cut him and his horse free…preferably before it was too late.

**TBC…**

**Things are starting to get interesting now…wish Legolas luck that he will be able to find Aragorn in time! I lied last chapter, _next_ chapter we get to see Thranduil's reaction. I know most of you where looking forward to that, but it will have to wait...*grins shiftily* **

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**DragonElf: **That is an excellent question that I have no answer to. Thanks for reviewing!

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**Guest: **I hope I can change it around a little bit for you, but sometimes things just happen. I think it will be different, but I see my work so differently than other people see it…Thanks!

**Alesia: **Thanks! I'm very glad you do.

**KP: **That makes me very happy! Estel is bound to get into trouble, the poor man. He gets no breaks whatever so ever with all us FF writers!

**Nameless: **Thanks so much! I really appreciate that you think that. I'll do my best to continue to please you!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N I feel as though I have the best readers out there! Thanks so much for making me a very happy writer! **

**Disclaimer: Not mine. **

Chapter Five

Thranduil strolled swiftly down the long hallway towards Legolas' room, a slight crease in his brow indicating his frustration. An important meeting had come up, one he could not ignore and he hadn't had a chance to as of yet check back up on his son.

Knocking once, the king pulled open the door without a sound and slipped in. The room was dark as not a single candle had been light yet, but that did not bother the elf. Turning towards the bed, he fully expected to find a sleeping Legolas, and instead he was meet with the shook of an empty bed, the covers turned back and cold to the touch. No one had lain here for quite some time.

The frustrated lines quickly melted form Thranduil's face, replaced with anger. How dare they! How dare his son and the human pull another stunt and so soon after their last one had failed miserably with Legolas having to get new stitches! Did they really think it funny to disappear from the room leaving him with no clue to where they might be?

Striding to the door, Thranduil yanked it open his mind still racing. Legolas knew better than to do something like that, after all it had been several decades since the last time. It was that human ...barging in and changing his son right before his eyes, leading him down paths that where dangerous or fool hardy! Well, Elrond may let his son, and now Legolas, get away with stunts like this with little punishment, but Thranduil certainly wasn't!

Still fuming the king purposefully strode down the corridor and down several flights of stairs until he found himself in front of his caption of the Guards office. Throwing the door open he walked right in, watching with amusement as the elf behind the desk jumped.

"Arminas!" He snapped, slamming the door behind him. The elf at desk rose to his feet, not cowed at all by famous glare that the king was aiming directly at him.

"Your highness," Arminas said softly, a note of confusion in his dark eyes as he looked at the king, usually it was him going to the king not the other way around. Thranduil didn't waste any time with formalities.

"I want you to have elves searching for Legolas." He said bluntly, pacing back and forth rather quickly in front of the desk with his hands clenched behind his back.

"The —the prince?" the other elf asked with even more confusion while walking around his desk and towards his lord. "Isn't Legolas sill recovering?"

"He's supposed to be!" Thranduil growled, looking up he caught sight of the baffled look the other elf was giving him and explained more clearly. "Legolas and his human friend, Estel, have apparently decided that it would be funny if they where to simply disappear."

The other elf sighed, running a hand through his own dark locks of hair. "Thranduil, calm down. I'm sure Legolas couldn't have gone that far, he is after all still injured." Arminas coxed softly, grabbing his liege's arm and pulling him towards a chair before pushing him down into it. Watching the king pace back and forth had been making him slightly dizzy.

"It is time that they both learned a lesson." Thranduil insisted, looking his friend directly in the eyes, his own still had anger clear in them. "When you find them, I want Legolas brought directly to his room, for as you pointed out he is indeed still wounded and needs rest. However, I want to see the human immediately."

Thranduil stood to leave, but again the caption of the guard stopped him. "Please, Thranduil, don't do anything you will regret later, the boy after all is still a child…he is also Lord Elrond's son."

The king sighed heavily, washing a hand over his face, before he nodded. "I will remember your words." He said quietly. Then he was gone, off to do a little searching of his own, his hands clenching and unclenching as he went.

THEREWILLALWAYSBEHOPE

Aragorn grinned triumphantly, his knife clutched tightly in his right first. The web had proved sticker than he had at first thought, but after straining the hand as much as possible, he had managed to break loose. Now he had a sharp knife, which he knew would cut through the webbing like a piece of butter.

In less than ten minutes, he was pulling free of the last of horrible webbing and dropping to the ground. His dark hair and clothes where still speckled across with the substance, but he couldn't care less. Moving quickly over to his horse, Aragorn ran his hand along her nose, giving her comfort.

"Your next, and then we are getting out of there." He muttered softly, reaching a hand coated in the sticky substance towards the webbing which had trapped his horse. The mare, however, abruptly gave a wild scream, tossing her glossy head in terror.

The next thing that Aragorn knew he was flying through the air as something hairy and long slammed into the middle of his chest with great force. Hitting the ground hard enough the knock the air out of him, the human was instantly in action as his basic training and instinct took over.

Rolling behind a large tree, he pressed his back up firmly against the rough bark, breathing slowly and silently as he closed his eyes, preparing for what was to come. Reaching down, he pulled his sword free of the scabbard, holding it so tightly in his hands that his knuckles turned white.

Moving to the side, the ranger cautiously peaked out from behind his protective tree, sword at the ready if whatever had hit him was still there.

Only two feet away stood a horrible, terrifying, and gigantic spider. Its legs where long and covered in course black hair, with its fat sickly body rested atop. Eight black eyes stared down from its head. Aragorn felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, Legolas had not been exaggerating when he told the man about them, and the ranger sorely wished he had been.

The spider scuttled forward, intent on the horse still caught in its web, and hissed with what could only be amusement as the horse continued to scream loudly, doing its uttermost best of escape its confines.

Aragorn's lip curled up into a snarl, his face set. That spider was not touching his horse, not if he could help it. Easing himself out from behind the tree, the man stealthy moved forward, sword held at the ready…he would kill this creature of darkness.

For a moment, the whole forest was silent, not a sound in the air as Aragorn raised his sword in preparation to thrust it deeply into the heavy body. In a flash the spider had twisted around, showing great agility for such a large creature and Aragorn for the second time found himself flying through the air.

Landing with a grunt, Aragorn just managed to keep a hold of his sword as his fingers loosened atomically, For a second he lay there, stunned. However, the sight of a large, dripping stinger over him shocked him into action and Aragorn rolled desperately to the side as the stinger came hurtling down.

Aragorn yelled loudly, allowing instinct to take over as the spider aimed for him again, and rolled further to the left. The spider was quick though, much quicker than anything of its size should be, and Aragorn was instantly rolling to the right, parting with several strands of his hair as the stinger pinned them to the ground.

The spider screeched in frustration, its eight legs attempting to trap the ranger under its glossy, fat, body. The call was echoed back, making Aragorn's heart drop further down, with two spiders, his chance of survival had dropped form little, to zero…

Rolling again, Aragorn was seized with a sudden plan.

The next to the stinger came down, Aragorn made a mad, daring and bold dash towards the trees, knowing that he was venerable but not caring. He only made it a few feet, however, before he skidded to a stop. Eight black eyes were staring at him, not intimidated at all by the sword in his hand as the second spider advanced.

He was trapped, Aragorn realized with panic, hurriedly back pedaling while swinging his sword in-between the two monsters, his eyes flicking back and forth as he tried to keep both in his line of sight. Suddenly he was stopped, his back hitting a tree.

Edging around the wood, Aragorn kept his grey eyes focused solely on his enemies, as Elladan and Elrohir had taught him to do. The ground was uneven and rocky, however, and the man lost his footing and crashed to the ground as a large rock got underfoot.

The man's grey eyes left the spiders for only a second, but when he looked up again, they were gone. Aragorn froze his mouth dry, before he staggered to his feet. This did not look good, not good at all. The spiders could be anywhere, ready to drop onto of him with no warning, and then he really would be done for.

The hand clutching his sword began to shake and he close d his eyes, forcing himself to regain control. If he was going to die, then he was going to go down fighting, not as a coward.

Then, just as Aragorn made peace with the fact that he was going to be eaten by a pair of spiders, a soft whoosh filled the air and was followed by the loudest and most dreadful scream Aragorn had ever heard. Snapping his eyes open, Aragorn just had time to jump out of the way as one of the large spiders suddenly toppled out of the tree next to him, hitting the ground with a terrible crunching nose.

A green and gold fletched arrow stood erect in one of its black eye and Aragorn gave a small cry of relief. Never before had he ever been so glad to see an arrow in all his life.

A second later, the spider was followed out of a tree by a green and brown blur. Legolas landed catlike on the floor next to Aragorn's side, his long bow rested comfortably in his left hand though in an instant it was raised again with a second arrow nocked.

"Estel." Legolas said firmly, his blue eye glittering with something Aragorn had not seen before in their warm depths, pure hatred. They did not look at him, restlessly scanning the treetops above them. "Get behind me."

Aragorn didn't need to be told twice. Flinging himself away from his trees he darted to the elven prince's side, though he did not get behind him as directed, staying side by side.

"How many?" Legolas asked, leaning close so that he was able to speak in less than a whisper. The bit of sky that could be seen around them was changing, rapidly become dark, hindering them but aiding the spiders.

"Two." Aragorn answered, matching the elf's volume. "One now."

"That means there will be at least three or four." Legolas finished grimly, eyes narrowing as he evaluated their situation with expertise that come from hundreds of years doing exactly this. "Be ready, Estel, I doubt that they will let us go without a struggle."

**TBC...**

**Of course they are not going too, Legolas! Be your guard, you never know what might happen... Aragorn had better be too! :)**

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	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Legolas and Aragorn are in danger oncah again, and once again you guys have succeeded my expectations! :D**

**Disclaimer: not mine.**

Chapter Six

Drawing his bow back a little further, Legolas resisted the urge to wince as the action pulled at his wound. He had taken one of the herbs that he had stolen from the palace several minutes again, but the strenuous actions he had just required of this body, many of them tugging and stretching his stitches, hadn't done him any good.

"Look, what's that —up there?" Aragorn breathed, leaning so close to the prince that he could almost sight down the bow, before pointing to a tree to their left. The words had barely left his lips when Legolas suddenly turned, slamming into him and forcing him to hit the ground hard, for the third time that day. The sword in his hand flew from his lax fingers with a clatter and landed several feet away.

What happened next happened so fast that Aragorn wasn't really aware of how it came of pass. One second he was scrambling for his sword, the next he was fighting for life against another monstrous sized spider.

Over the raucous sounds of the fight, he could faintly hear Legolas's yew bow singing and for some explicate reason, it gave him courage. Drawing in on this newly found bravery, he took a deep breath and plunged straight under the spiders body, clambering past several legs until he was on the other side and his sword was in his fist again.

A shadow fell over him as the spider loomed over him, and Aragorn abruptly stood, jabbing his sword high above his head. The spider screamed, jerking back and convoluting in on itself before scuttling away like a coward as Aragorn yanked his sword, now covered with an ugly, sticky, green blood, back.

His triumph did not last long, a mere second after he had defeated his foe, a soft elvish cry of pain brought everything crashing back down.

"Legolas!" he shouted, heart pounding painfully as he whipped around, taking in everything that had happened while he had been fighting the spider. Three dead spiders lay on the ground with their grotesque legs curled above their overturned bodies and a fifth spider was staggering up a tree, green blood spotting the ground in its wake. "Legolas!" he yelled again, looking around in a panic when he did not spot the elf.

A soft noise caused Aragorn to turn, before he let out a quick breath of relief as he saw his friend. Legolas was picking himself up from off the ground a good ten feet away and it appeared as though the prince had been tossed aside much like the ranger had been before.

The elf looked a little unsteady on his feet, one hand clutching at a nearby branch as he stood and Aragorn instantly become concerned. Rushing forward he took the prince's other arm with a guilty glance…he had forgotten that Legolas was already injured.

"Legolas—" he began, intending to question the pale prince on his wellbeing, but Legolas cut him off.

"Estel! Are you well? Did the spiders have a chance to bite you? What happened?" He fired off, letting go of the branch and gripping the human's forearm tightly and scanning his body for the tell-tale signs of blood. His deep blue eyes were dark with worry and concern.

"I'm fine. What about you?" Aragorn replied in a tone that indicated that he thought Legolas to be worse off than himself. His friend was no longer listening, however, as he let go of the human and strode purposefully towards Aragorn's trapped and unconsciousness horse. Glancing over his shoulder, the prince sighed when he saw that the young human remained rooted to the spot.

"Come quickly. We must leave before any more spiders are called to help." He stated, eyes flying to the canopy of trees above them and his hand twitched as though he wanted to grab one of his twin knives. Aragorn nervously glanced around, his mind uneasy as he hurried to catch up with his companion.

"You didn't answer my question." he said bluntly, shaking the dregs of fear from his voice as he grabbed Legolas' arm and twisting him around. Legolas let out an annoyed sigh, turning a disbelieving face to the human.

"We _have_ to get out of here! Do you really want to be caught be more spiders? —Or perhaps something worse this time?" he said sarcastically as freed his arm from the human's grasp, crouching down next to Aragorn's faithful beast with a small grunt. The human followed suit, a momentary look of fear flashing through his young eyes.

"I will get a straight answer out of you yet, mellon-nin." He said softly, watching as Legolas twirled one of his twin knives free and began to cut loss the webbing incasing his horse. "Because I _know_ that you are hurting." He continued doggedly, watching the elf carefully for his reaction.

Legolas only smiled softly at him, before directly the man's attention back to the problem at hand.

"Your mare was lucky, she is mealy unconsciousness, the likely cause would be fear." He declared, lightly stoking her soft mane as he spoke, though his eyes were centered on Aragorn's face. "However, we cannot carry her out, we need her to wake up…you wouldn't by chance have anything that could help with that?"

Aragorn thought for a moment, mentally running through his herbs that he had brought with him.

"We could try this..." the human said doubtfully, reaching for the saddle-bag that always contained a small bag of herbs, as of request by his father. Wiping it free of the sticky strand of webbing, he had the correct herb in seconds.

It was several minutes later, however, that his horse actually regained its senses, helped along by both Aragorn's healing herb and Legolas soothing voice which whispered elven words that prodded it forth from its slumber.

"There will be no riding him." Aragorn surmised regretfully, holding the reigns in one hand and helping the animal to its feet, where it began to stumble clumsily after the man and elf.

"We will both ride my horse." Legolas said swiftly, walking in front of them to lead the way. "He is only a little ways back." He called, wavering slightly himself. His back was on fire, the herbs he had taken earlier apparently not doing any good at the moment…though it mostly likely had to do with his sinking suspicion that he had ripped several of his stitches after being tossed against a tree. If the blood that he could feel slowly saturating his bandages and tunic where anything to go by, then he had. Luckily, for him, or maybe unluckily, he was wearing a cloak; efficiently hiding this from the human.

It took them several long and tedious minutes to reach Legolas brown stallion, Aragorn's mare staggering around like a drunkard, as effect form Aragorn herbs, and slowing them down considerably. Legolas was frustrated by the lost time, knowing much better than his human friend what danger was present in the dark woods.

His horse could also feel the evil lying heavily and thickly in the air, staining everything under is powers, and was prancing agitatedly as they approached.

Taking a hand full of the soft mane in his hand, Legolas swung atop, pausing for a second when the world insisted on wavering in front of his eyes. When the dizziness had passed, he turned his horse around, hoping Aragorn hadn't noticed anything.

The young man was busy tending his own horse and was not paying much attention to what the elf was doing behind him.

"Come, Estel, we have to go." Legolas said sympathetically. Aragorn nodded slowly, giving his mare one last concerned pat before pulling himself up behind Legolas. Hesitantly he wrapped an arm loosely around Legolas's lithe waist to keep himself steady, while holding the mare's reigns in his hand.

Kicking his stallion into a trot, Legolas focused in on the path he was taking, not the way the path and trees in front of them kept shifting in and out of focus. Behind him Aragorn shifted, his grasp tightly slightly as the horse jolted them to the side.

Legolas blinked furiously, determined to make the path stay where it was at, instead of jumping around, as blackness creped in on his vision as well. Aragorn was saying his name, as if from a distance, and Legolas could hear a certain panic in it, making him wonder at the cause…

And then he was tipping to the side, a feeling of weightlessness crashing down on him as everything went black.

Aragorn swore softly as he grasped Legolas tightly around his waist and hauled him back up and into a sitting position, attempting to stop the horse as well. Legolas's head flopped sickeningly against his chest, making the young healer cringe as he succeeded in pulling the horse to a halt, stopping them in the midst of several large trees that loomed over them.

"You told me you where fine!" he accused the senseless elf, fear making his tone sharp as he gently leaned the elf forward against the mares neck so that he could dismount. "I am never trusting your word again…" he continued, sliding off the horses back before pulling Legolas' limp form after him.

Gently he laid his friend on the forest floor, critically examining him. His face was as pale as the moon, with dark smudges beginning to form under his eyes, and when Aragorn pressed his fingers against the prince's neck, he found the pulse racing. Shaking his head with worry, Aragorn rolled the limp elf over onto his stomach.

Blood spotted the ground where he had lain. More of the scarlet substance stained an alarming amount of his cloak an ugly color, making Aragorn feel slightly ill. It was a wonder that the prince had not passed out before now…

Aragorn was instantly in action, pulling the quiver of arrows, the bow, and knives off Legolas' back and setting them carefully aside. The tunics came off next, though Aragorn was forced to cut them off, and then the blood soaked bandages.

The skin underneath was a bloody and torn mess, the wound lay open with an occasional stitch attempting to hold the tattered skin together. Bruises and scratches had formed along the fragile skin from where he had hit the tree.

The ranger hissed aloud, flinching as he thought about how much pain Legolas must have been in.

"The most bull-headed being I have ever meet." He whispered under his breath, his hands hovering over the back as he tried to decide the best course of action. He needed to clean the wounds, stitch it, apply herbs, and then bandage it…but they didn't have a lot of water and he was hesitant to do anything before freeing it of infection, especially since it had already been infected once.

The need to clean the injury won out, and he set to work doing exactly that.. The young man worked diligently and carefully until the gross wound was cleaned free of any grime and was in the process of being stitched back up.

Unfortunately, before Aragorn was done, Legolas began to stir and a low moan cut through the stillness of the air. The ranger jumped in surprise, his mind instantly jumping to the conclusion that something was upon them again, ready to tear them apart and eat them whole.

He was half-way to his feet before he realized that Legolas was moving feebly underneath his hand. Letting out a small breathe, he crouched back on his knees and smiled weakly at Legolas who was blinking sluggishly up at him.

"W'at happened?" he slurred, attempting to push himself upright. Aragorn firmly pressed him back down, not willing to allow him to rise just yet.

"Stay still, Legolas, I have to finish sticking your back…which you ripped up pretty well." Aragorn stated in a soft voice, digging around in the small bag of herbs for any sort of medication, as his supply was growing alarming low as he continued to use it.

"The spiders?" Legolas asked his voice much clearer than before. Resting his head onto of his arm, Legolas denied the herbs offered him with a shake of his head. "I need my mind clear." He said explained gently as Aragorn gave him a questioning look.

"The spiders are long gone." Aragorn answered the elf's earlier question, lifting the needle again. "Hold on, this will be done in just a moment."

Legolas nodded bravely, giving Aragorn a comforting smile that said 'I'll be fine, do what you have to do'. Aragorn took this to heart and pressed the needle once more into flesh. Legolas tensed, every muscle in this body straining as the fiery pain that had been sleeping was re-woken with a ferocity that took the elf by surprise.

"Easy, mellon-nin, easy…" Aragorn soothed, his fingers steady as he worked. Legolas gritted his teeth, sucking in a large breathe and holding it as long as he could before letting it out. He knew that this was a difficult task he was asking of the human, but it was necessary.

After what seemed to be an age to both elf and ranger, Aragorn placed the last bandage down.

"Hannon le." Legolas whispered with the hope to disguise the waver there. Aragorn offered a smile in return, running a hand through the tangled mess that his hair had became. Behind them, Legolas's horse gave a nervous whinny, prancing where it stood. "We should go." The wood-land being pointed out as he attempted to push himself up and into a sitting position.

"Wait just a moment!" Aragorn exclaimed, pushing the elf forcefully back down. "You need rest, Legolas." He finished, rather bravely he thought as he stood firm despite the glare Legolas was laying on him.

"Aragorn." The elf started. "This is would be no safe place to rest even if I needed it. We are _right in the middle of the spiders' hunting ground!_"

The man paled visibly at the thought, his brief experiences with the large creatures instantly springing forth to the front of his mind. Legolas's own face soften considerable, he had forgotten how the young man must be feeling.

"The palace is only two or so hours away." Legolas assured gently, reaching out and laying his hand on the young man's arm. "We'll get there, everything will turn out fine."

Aragorn nodded, his eyes seeking those of the elf's before his node grew firmer and more determined. "We will leave, but you must first promise me to tell me if anything changes in your condition."

Legolas hesitated for a moment, before he nodded in response. Aragorn smiled with relief. He had half feared the Legolas would protest due to his stubborn and bull-headed nature. Reaching down he hooked his arms under his shoulders and heaved the prince carefully to his feet, steadying him when he swayed alarmingly.

Aragorn didn't let him fall, however, and lead the tottering elf towards his horse, ready to take his full weight should he find himself unable to stand. When both were seated on the horse, with Aragorn's arm wrapped firmly around Legolas's waist, then they set off.

**TBC...**

**Well, I think that those two have really got themselves in a pickle! When do that not? **

**Review Reply**

**Nameless: **Thanks, mellon-nin! I understand, I would also die within my first few minutes, but they would be the best minutes of my life! I am really glad that you are enjoying his fic so much!Thanks again! :)

**AmazingWriter123: **haha, because I have an evil bone or two in my body! They are only in more trouble now...maybe someday they will be able to get out of it! Thanks!

**Guest: **I really appreciate that you where willing to tell me this. I want to become A better writer, so I am glad you pointed it out. I will try and fix it up here in the next little while, but I am really here for a little while. I hope that you won't be discouraged from reading my fic or telling me your thoughts! Thanks again! **  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I changed my Captain of the guards name, just FYI, because someone who had posted before had the exact same name, though I was totally unaware of that. His name is now Arminas. **

**Thanks to everybody! :) **

**Disclaimer: not mine. **

Chapter Severn

Arminas looked around, troubled. He had four or five elves out searching for the missing elf and ranger. At first he had believed the number a little larger than what was needed, but they had yet to find the two friends, and Arminas was feeling increasingly more frustrated by the minutes that ticked past, as well as less sympathetic for what was too come when they finally where found. They deserved what they were going to get.

One of his scouts rounded the corner, coming attention before reporting. "Sire, we have not found sign of either Prince Legolas or Lord Estel." The elf stated. Arminas gave a pained sigh, rolling his eyes and huffing slightly as his frown grew.

"Hannon le. Continue looking, I must report to the King."

Hurrying away, Arminas ran a hand through his hair, mentally composing what he was going to say before he actually talked to the king. So involved with his thoughts was he that he accidently stumbled into another elf.

"Forgive me." He said softly, sidestepping. Suddenly he was turned back, Legolas was friends with that elf, and it would be worth a try to ask him if he knew anything. "Wait! You wouldn't happen to know the whereabouts of Prince Legolas?" he asked, holding out an arm.

To the captain's great surprise and relief the other elf nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly as he opened his mouth to speak, but Arminas cut him off.

"Do you have any idea where they are now?"

At this the other elf winced, sensing that the captain of the guard was _not_ going to like the answer he had to give. "In the forest, I think."

Those five words caused quite a reaction. Arminas blanched, his eyes opening up wide with disbelief as he stared non pulsed at the other elf for a second.

"You have to be joking…." He whispered. Legolas, of all people, knew the woods to not be as safe as they use to be, filled with dangerous creatures that liked to pick on the weak and alone, both of which Legolas was currently included in. "Are you positive?" he asked, the seriousness in his voice alarming the younger elf.

"Yes. Estel left first, he seemed to be in a bad mood. Then a couple hours later Legolas found me and asked almost exactly the same question as you did. As soon as I told him about the human, he went rushing off. I thought he was allowed to be up and about again, but I'm guessing he really wasn't..." the other elf finished his story, twisting his hands nervously as he did so and giving a slight shrug.

"Hannon le." Arminas said gently. "Your information is greatly appreciated." Stepping aside, he allowed the younger elf to pass and strode swiftly down the hall way, breaking into a run as soon as he was out of eye sight, taking the round at break neck speed.

He found Thranduil restlessly pacing the hallway in front of Legolas' room; his face was thoughtful yet worried and angry all at the same time. Hearing the rapid footsteps, he looked up a frown creasing his brow as he saw his caption of the guards racing towards him.

"Arminas!" the king exclaimed, coming to a halt himself. "What is wrong?" he asked a second later with a note of dread filling his voice. Reaching out he gripped his friend tightly by the arms, "What has happened?"

"Legolas and Estel have disappeared into the woods." Arminas murmured, as if hearing the news softly would lessen the blow, because he had just pronounced that Legolas as good as dead. Injured as he his chances of survival where dim.

Thranduil blinked once in shook, before his eyes narrowed in disbelief, though a creeping look of fear had also entered into his starling blue eyes.

"Are you sure? Is this a fact?" the king asked harshly, stepping closer and staring down his caption.

"Yes, my lord. Someone saw Estel leave, and then Legolas followed. Neither has returned." Arminas replied, locking steady eyes with the king. "I'm sorry." He finished so softly that Thranduil almost missed it.

Turning away, the king braced his hand against the wall and gazed unseeingly at the opposite side. "But it is a fact?" Thranduil insisted, and to his benefit, his voice to not quiver. "Legolas knows many ways around the palace; it would not have been hard for him to return unseen."

The stunned silence that followed light a flame of hope in the king's heart and he turned, jerking the door to his son's room open. Searching desperately for some sort of sign, Arminas ummarized, stepping up into the doorway and standing awkwardly there.

"His bow and quiver are gone, but that does not mean he hasn't returned." Thranduil said, pushing past his friend and striding down the hall so quickly that the other elf had to jog to keep up.

As he walked the king silently ran a pray through his heart.

_Please keep Legolas safe…Please let him still be in the palace, let his horse and the ranger's still be in the stable…_

The small flame of hope that had so recently been rekindled was flickering dangerously as Arminas and the king found Estel's horse stall empty. The door to Legolas' was open and Thranduil felt the fame die entirely. He knew before he ever could see into the interior that the horse would be gone, his son with it, and as his stepped closer his worst fears where confirmed.

Legolas and Estel were gone.

Thranduil started into the empty stale for a second, letting his heart register the hard truth, before spinning on his heel. "I want at least a dozen of the finest warriors we have ready to go in one hour." His commanded curtly, his face transforming into an unbreakable mask. "I will personally over see _this _mission."

"But —Thranduil," Arminas said quickly, racing to keep up. Thrusting out a hand he caught the sleeve of Thranduil's robe and pulled him to a stop. "Please, listen to me, for such a moment." He pleaded desperately, seeing how the king was about to brush him off.

The elf stopped moving, but didn't turn around, but his body posture was rigid and tense.

"We have no time to spare, every second lengthens the amount of time that Legolas —and the ranger— are in danger."

Arminas sighed, his tone turning frantic as his mind, which was thinking more clearly than Thranduil's he was sure, chased through numerous possibilities ahead.

"Thranduil, think! Sunset in is only an hour away, maybe an hour and a half. By time you gather up warriors, supplies, healing supplies, and everything else needed, the sun will be down. You _cannot _risk your life and those of your warriors by venturing out at such a perilous time. Please, just think about all the added hazards."

The king of Mirkwood seemed to be frozen in thought and Arminas held his breathe. Painstakingly slowly the elf turned to face the captain and for the briefest of moments his soul was laid bare for all to see. Heart wrenching fear and terror was resounded deep, along with raw pain that came with the realization that the life of his only child was out of his hands…anger, there was also. A small shouldering heap ready to spring into life should Thranduil come upon any evil creature that would hurt his son.

"But my son is faced with the same dangers." He whispered so quietly that the other elf had to lean closer to hear. Arminas was silent, watching as the pain in his liege's eyes deepened with reality and his shoulders slump with the burden he now carried.

Suddenly all the vulnerability was gone, replaced with the firm mask. Turning his back Thranduil walked away, a hard note in his tone as he called over his shoulder, "Gather your warriors. We leave at dawn."

THEWILLALWAYSBEHOPE

The sun had long ago faded behind the treetops, dressing the forest in a cloak of blackness, not even an occasional star could be glimpsed between the leafy branches. This lack of light was proving to be a great hindrance for Aragorn, who was endeavoring to lead the small group that consisted of him, Legolas, and the two horses to safety.

Legolas had lapsed into a stupor and hadn't been of much help. What little he had told Aragorn about finding a sort of shelter in the darkness of Mirkwood had, in fact, proved rather useless.

"The treetops are normally safe, but since we are in spider territory and spiders can climb, they are not an option." Was all that he had said as he rubbed his forehead in confusion, leading the man to believe that the loss of blood and pain had handicapped his normaly resourceful friend more than they both wished to admit.

Scanning the horizon intently, Aragorn finally was forced to stop when it grew so dark that he could hardly see the horse's head in front of him. Legolas had been silent for a long while now, and Aragorn jostled him, whispering his name.

"What?" Legolas slurred with the ere of annoyance of having been woken form a good dream. Aragorn didn't smile, a frown creeping across his face…Legolas was rapidly declining and they where still not back at Thranduil's safe palace.

"I need to get off the horse. Give me a second and I will help you." The ranger said softly and clearly, making sure that the prince understood before swinging off. One hand remained fisted tightly in the fabric of Legolas' cloak least the elf proved unable to stay upright.

"I can do…it myself." Legolas insisted, his pride flaring up at once as his hands tightened with determination in the brown mane. Aragorn sighed, rolling his eyes, but let the elf have his way.

Legolas slowly slipped painfully down, his trembling legs giving way as soon as they touched earth. Aragorn caught him with ease and lowered the elf much more kindly to the ground then he had been about too.

"You stay here." Aragorn commanded with more authority then he knew he had. Leaning Legolas sideways against a sickly looking tree, the human began to build a fire, knowing that light would be help him build and a shelter and protect them for the evil of the woods that detested the warmth and light.

"I can help." Legolas murmured gently, tipping his head back so that he could study what his friend was doing.

"You are still weak, prince." Aragorn replied with a smile, shaking his unruly hair. "Rest, just this once, and let me do the work."

"Just take care not to light the whole forest on fire." Legolas teased lightly, pulling in a sharp breathe and releasing it slowly as a sudden flare up a pain caught him by surprise.

"I'll keep your advice in mind." Aragorn retorted, tone cynical. However a happy light had entered his grey eyes, showing how pleased he was that Legolas was feeling up to joking around. They lapsed into silence, Aragorn concentrating on building them a shelter and Legolas conserving strength. A warm fire in their midst would lighten their moods and lift their spirits, chasing away their fears.

Finally Aragorn managed to construct a sort of lean-to, using large fallen branches and leaning them against a couple large trees that were crammed together. It was small with hardly enough room for both of them to squeeze in together, but it would have to do.

Moving back to Legolas' side, Aragorn bent anxiously down next to him, a protective, and perhaps guilty, glint in his eyes.

"It's not much, but we do have shelter." Aragorn answered the elf's dazed, but questioning, look, before pulling the prince up against him.

"Good…" the elf muttered wearily, leaning more of his weight against Aragorn when his shaky leg proved unsteady. He was tired, his strength spent, and all he wanted to do was rest…

Aragorn sat Legolas down in the very back of their shelter, before vanishing out of the entrance and returning with his arms burden with supplies. The horses would have to spend the night out in the forest, there was no room for them in the already cramped space.

As Aragorn returned to the princes side, he placed his best you-will-do-this face in place. In one hand he gripped his healers bag, in the other, a little bit of dried bread.

"First thing first." He stated strictly. "You are going to let me attend to your back, then you will eat, and then you will rest. No questions."

"What about you?" Legolas asked in the same manner, abiet with a weaker and more weary voice. Aragorn was caught off guard and his face lost some of its sternness making him look even younger than he was in the fire light, as the fire was resting near the entrance.

"What about me?" he asked quizzically.

"You need rest as well." Legolas explained, a gentle smile on his face as he took in the man's equally haggard and worn expression.

"No, I don't—" Aragorn instantly protested, drawing his shoulders back. "I will be absolutely fine!" he added, before doing his best Elrond intimidation. "Now, lay down on your stomach and hold still."

**TBC...**

**Yea! Thranduil is going to go save those two's sorry hides! Man, I would sure hate to be either of them after they are rescued...if all ends well, that is :)**

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**Nameless: **I am very happy that you are enjoying the story :) However, from friend to friend, I am legitimatly concerned for you if you can't go 15 minutes without your computer...Thanks again! :D

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**Lusse Eldalion: **I complelty understand. Aragorn really would do well to learn from that particular lesson, it will be handy in his life later on! That elf really dosn't know wha is good for him...maybe someday he will learn that hiding things is not healthy...but then again, that just wouldn't be Legolas! Thanks mellon-nin! :)


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Oh, guys, you don't have a clue how relieved I am to be typing this out! :) I had unwanted plans that where going to end late, but they where canceled! So here I am. Thanks again to all you amazing people!**

**Disclaimer: not mine. **

Chapter Eight

The night was cold, crisp, and as dark as the deepest cave, except for a small pinprick of ligh that was Aragorn and Legolas' fire. It gleamed froth though the gloom, acting as a beacon to any who wanted to find its source. Aragorn, however, was glad for its comfort.

He sat next to it bright light, clutching his knees to his chest and staring off into the distance with his chin resting on his knees. Legolas lay in the back of the shelter, deeply asleep, on his back with one arm cushioning his head and had a soft glow emitting from his body. A cloak was drawn over his lower half, which left his back bare except for the off-white bandages that covered it.

The young ranger had carefully re-cleaned the wound to Legolas' back, trying to get ahead of the infection before it could start attacking the gash again, but Aragorn feared it was a losing battle. The prince already had a light fever, nothing to panic about but enough to make the healer worry.

Aragorn sighed heavily at the entrance, fear and guilt clawing at his insides. He was truly alone on this dark night. His father and brothers where far away to the east, not even knowing how lost he was feeling and Legolas, one of the other few he truly trusted, was heavily drugged to ensure that he would sleep through the night.

Squeezing his limbs tighter together, Aragorn felt the stinging in his eyes and struggled to gain control. This was his entire fault. If he just hadn't ridden off into the woods…if he had just stayed calm and talked it through with Thranduil, asking him politely if he could sit with Legolas, then none of this would have happened.

It was _his_ fault that they where no stuck in this Valar forsaken forest with its many dark, evil and, quite frankly, terrifying creatures. Stuck with Legolas wounded and having to depend upon Aragorn to get him out of the mess that the human had created and Aragorn had no clue how to do it.

Wiping ferociously at his eyes, Aragorn rocked back and forth with ever increasing speed, his hands gripping his knees so tight that there was a chance of bruising. He could not do it….He would not be able to get Legolas and himself out here! He was still a child for crying out loud as Elladan and Elrohir where always quick to tease.

These dangerous thoughts chased one after the other threw Aragorn's mind, adding to the fear that he already felt and scaring him so badly that his hands shook. But worse than this it took away his self-confidence and without a little bit of confidence in his abilities, then chances of survival dwindled more than if they had just lost all their weapons, supplies, and became seriously wounded in the process.

The night grew later and later and Aragorn's thoughts continued to remain dark and dangerous, until they put him in an exhausted stupor. His dark grey eyes began to slip shut, intermediately jerking open, as the fire also began to shrink, flickering and dancing as it went lower. This only severed to lull Aragorn further to sleep, and soon his chin was touching his chest, only to pop up a second later.

Within the next few minutes, however, his head dropped back down again. This time it remained bowed.

Outside the small lean-to, evil creatures began to awaken and creep forth from their dark homes. The pinprick of light drew their attention immediately, for rare was it for other being to carelessly wander into their homes, nevertheless stay for the night…a free meal was hanging in the air for all to sense —that was unless it was a party of the cursed elves and the death they always brought.

One by one they surrounded the clearing where the fire light was slowly but surely burning down and returning the blessed darkness. The father down it went, the closer they crept.

Aragorn and Legolas remained unaware, both deeply sleeping. Their horses, whom had been forced to spend the night outside, where not. They snorted, pawing at the earth with fear as they themselves moved closer and closer to the shelter.

Legolas' horse, well trained as it was not to panic in situations such as this, began to lose control when his master made no move against creatures. Whinnying loudly, he attempted to push his too large body into the shelter and alert his master of the danger. Aragorn stirred from where he was, muttering something before seeming to drift off again.

A single creature of the night suddenly let out a screech, which was the last straw for both panicked horses. Aragorn's white mare took off like a bullet, her powerful legs caring her away from the evil and Legolas's brown stallion followed, not wanting to be alone with an unresponsive master.

Aragorn was also startled awake, falling to his side and cursing loudly he tried to react to the danger his mind was sensing. Springing to his feet, the man groped around his sword, knowing that he would be much more comfortable if it rested in his hand.

Another scream echoed through the night and he swore again, swinging around with his sword in his hand. What he saw from the dying light of the fire made his blood run cold and his heart almost stop beating. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of tiny, glowing pinpricks of light where reflecting back at him...

Aragorn was suddenly released form the terror that had seized him upon sight, and stumbled forward, knowing that their only chance lay in starting up the fire. Seizing the wood the man became clumsy in his haste and began to swear again, panic making his voice crack.

"Legolas!" he bellowed over his shoulder, momentarily forgetting that the elf was out cold and would not arouse to help him. Glancing up Aragorn saw that the eyes where moving closer with every second that paused, as if sensing that their prey was awake and ready to fight but Aragorn still could not get the fire to build up stronger again, almost putting it out instead.

Aragorn gave a panicked moan, almost begging the fire to start as it was their best protection they had to be able to survive the night. A quick glance behind him told him that Legolas hadn't stirred at all and he wasn't going to get any help from him.

Stuck with sudden inspiration, the man ripped open his healing bag and pulled out a small bottle, filled with tiny particles. He had been planning to use this as a prank on the twins, but he didn't care anymore. Unstoppering the lid, he tossed the contents in and ducked, shielding his head with his arms.

It went off with an ear-splitting bang! The fire roared to life at once, shooting higher and with more ferocity than before, leaping hungrily towards the sky. The creatures beyond the cave let out shrieks of terror and distaste, quickly fleeing back to the more blessedly dark parts of the forest.

Some of the braver one, however, continued to prowl the edges of the light, waiting for it to go back, for surly it would not last forever

Aragorn, meanwhile, slumped heavily back against a tree, gasping for breath as if he had just run a mile. Passing a shaking hand over his face, the man waited for his nerves to calm.

He had fallen asleep —almost resulting in both of their deaths. Aragorn slammed his fist into the ground, looking for release pent up anger and fright.

"You idiot!" he hissed, the guilt he had felt before flooding back into his soul and taking root in his mind. "Next time some really could end up dead."

The elf besides him gave a small moan, though stilled almost instantly. Stopping his self-commanding tirade, Aragorn scouted over slightly, watching Legolas anxiously. The prince made not further movement, however, and the man relaxed.

Suddenly, however, his head shot up, a frantic expression in his grey eyes. The horses! What had happened to the horses! Scrambling once again to his feet, Aragorn grabbed a burning piece of wood out of the fire to use as a torch and stepped out of their shelter.

The horses where gone…as was their hope of a quick escape in the morning. Another overwhelming and crushing sense of despair hit Aragorn hard, making him fall to his knees with its weight and bow his head in grief.

How on earth was he ever going to break the news to Legolas?

Standing slowly, he returned to the safe confines of their shelter and waited for the light of day to come creeping in through the dark trees. Little did the human know that not too far away an incredible anxious father also waited, praying for the Valar to protect and watch over his son.

Morning finally did come, and with the chance to try again. Aragorn himself felt much lighter after his dark night. The feelings of despair had faded somewhat with the hope of a brand new day and he felt renewed, ready to face the world…if not Thranduil when the king found out where they were.

Aragorn had spent the last little while sorting through their belongings, choosing the bare minimal of what they would need as the horses were not longer to help with the burdens and he was for sure not going to let Legolas put anything on that back until it had healed some.

Striding over to the still sleeping elf, Aragorn crouched next to him, shaking his shoulder lightly

"Legolas…Legolas! Come, it is time to be up!" The man was rewarded for his efforts with a small moan as Legolas stirred. Sighing loudly, Aragorn gave him another shake, one hand reaching out and touching the prince's brow, testing his temperature.

The fever had never risen nor fallen.

"Legolas, awake!" he cried again. Letting out another groan Legolas let his eyes gaze focus, staring blearily at Aragorn's face. The prince lifted his head from his arms, taking a slow and measured look around their shelter, before letting out an nonexistent groan and dropping it back onto his arm, looking for the world like he was about to go back to sleep. "Up you get, on your feet!" he urged, grabbing the elf gently and hauling him to his feet.

Legolas swayed alarmingly, his still asleep body wanting to sag back down to the ground. Aragorn steadied him, unable to not find this all slightly amusing, before shaking him lightly once more.

"I'm awake!" Legolas cried out, eyes flashing open and body jerking slightly as he righted himself.

"Good." The young ranger grunted. "Took you long enough."

They tarried at the lean-to for a little over a half-an-hour, Aragorn insisted that he must care for Legolas's wounds one last time. The injury was healing was well as was to be expected in such circumstances, which wasn't well, but could walk on his own.

The elf and the human made good time that morning, despite this drawback and both where feeling more confidantes that they would get out safety by time they stopped for a short break. However, form there, things began to deteriorate rapidly.

Legolas's strength began to fail, and he meekly accepted Aragorn's offer of help, leaning more and more of his weight against his friend as they progressed. The human took the added weight without complaint, his own sprites declining once again.

**TBC...**

**Oh dear, oh dear! Low spirits always hinder, rather than help! They are just digging themselves in deeper and deeper...will they ever get out?!**

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**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N I can't believe that we are already on this chapter! This story seems to be flying by so quickly... Thanks so much to everybody who has reviewed/Faviorted/Followed! :)**

**Disclaimer: not mine. **

Chapter Nine

Thranduil had never been so thrilled to see the sun rise as he was that morning as he stood, erect and dignified next to his fine horse, watching as his best warriors filed in to wait for instructions. When at last they were all assembled, Thranduil mounted, riding forward and to the head, before addressing the group.

"You all know the reason you were called here." He began, speaking softly and slowly, his voice ringing impressively anyway. "Prince Legolas and his human friend, ranger of the North and son of Elrond, have disappeared."

There was absolute silence from his warriors, and after a moment the king continued on, his voice perhaps a little lower with grief now.

"Our goal is to find them and bring them home before anything happens to them." No one spoke, the grim determatnion palpable in the air and Thranduil said no more. Wheeling his horse around and towards the gate, the king started them off with a pounding of hooves.

They traveled on swiftly for an hour or so, until they came to a cross road. Here they paused, wondering which way the two they had seeker had gone, or if they had both gone separate ways. In the end it was decided for Arminas to take five warriors and go to the right with strict instructions to send someone back if they found a sign of Legolas or Estel while Thranduil took the remaining ones down the left path.

The king was silent and still as they rode along, pondering deeply the reason that Legolas was so willing to place his life on line for a human. _What_ had he missed in Elrond's son that Legolas seemed to see so clearly, something that Elrond appeared to have seen in the boy as well?

He knew that the child wasn't evil, no, far from it. Estel had a good heart, even if he could be brash, stubborn, full hardy and unwise. However, he had shown a great deal of dedication of Legolas ever since their frowned upon friendship had begun, as far as Thranduil knew anyway.

The king was suddenly broken out of his revering when a soft, quit noise, filtered through the trees and to his sensitive ears. Checking his horse, Thranduil held up a hand to call his warriors to a stop, listening intently for the sound to come again.

There it was! A soft sound of distresses, filled with pain and fear.

The sound came from the right of the path, and Thranduil motioned his warriors to follow him as he lead his horse slowly and carefully off the path. In one hand, he held his sword, ready for whatever was out there because in these dangerous times, no one could ever be too careful.

On the outside, his face was calm and sure, not even a hint of the fear he was feeling. He was scared; scared of what he would find when he left that path. What if it was Legolas, his only child? What if he was past help and would forsake the king just like his wife had?

Heart thudding uncomfortable fast, Thranduil lead his warriors into the unknown, towards something that might result in what he feared more than death itself.

The group of elven warriors moved on without a sound, even their horses seeming to move with the grace bestowed until the elves. The creature they were nearing let out another pitiful sound and they hastened forward, unwilling to leave any creature, evil or good, suffering unnecessarily in such misery.

Through the crowded trees, they caught sight of a brown pelt, belonging to a majestic horse that was prancing nervously on the spot..

"No!" Thranduil whispered in protest, instantly recognizing the mighty beast. Pushing his way forward, ignoring his warriors, the king stepped into the clearing, sword gripped so tightly that his knuckles where white. Nearing the frightened animal, Thranduil caught sight of a second a horse, lying on its side and obviously injured. It was Aragorn's horse.

Thranduil froze for a second; his breathe catching in a heart stopping moment as he glanced desperately around for his son.

"Search the area for Legolas and the ranger! Someone please care for the horses." he ordered to the surrounding warriors who had made a protective circle around their liege incase whatever had injured the horses was still there. They scattered, doing directly as their lord asked and doing it swiftly.

After a while, though, it was apparent that neither Legolas nor Aragorn was near the horses, and Thranduil found his heart rent between relief that Legolas wasn't dead yet according his knowledge, and despair that they hadn't found him.

"My lord?" the warrior to his right questioned, wondering what the plan would be next.

"Did someone care to the horses?" Thranduil asked in return, walking towards the animals.

"Yes. The ranger's horse is badly wounded, though she should recover fully with rest and proper care. Prince Legolas' horse is in much better condition." The elf rambled off, matching his strides to that of the kings.

"Good. I want another warrior to leave with the horses, take them back to the palace. Then he must ride as swiftly as possible so that he may catch Arminas." Thranduil instructed, taking Legolas' horse's great head in his gentle hands and softly rubbing his velvety nose.

The horse calmed under the familiar hands and laid its head on the king's shoulder, nickering softly. Thranduil petted his neck gently, wondering all the while what had happened to his son and his friend. What had attacked the horses and forced them to leave their masters?

This was perhaps what scared the King of Mirkwood the most. Legolas' faithful stallion had been trained not to leave without his masters say so, and he couldn't come up with a reason for Legolas to send his horse off when he knew that the quicker he got out of the Dark the better.

Thranduil sighed heavily, handing off Legolas' horse to the warrior destined to bring him back to the palace and made his way towards his own horse. His only hope lay in Elrond's young son and that he would protect the injured Legolas with everything he had…

"Come, we ride!" Thranduil ordered with sudden impatience. "We will follow the horses tracts in belief that they will lead us to Legolas and Estel." Wheeling his horse around, he waited only a moment for his warriors to scramble upon their own steeds before started, eyes darting across the ground so as not to miss a single clue, because everything was important at this point.

THEREWILLALWAYSBEHOPE

"Up here we will rest for a few minutes…" Aragorn murmured at last to break the silence that had fallen around the as he and Legolas traveled further north.

"No— I can keep going." Legolas retorted, straightening up instantly with an air of determatnion.

"No, you can't, Legolas, and I'm not going to be responsible—!" Aragorn cried out in frustration, stopping his sentence abruptly with modification written across his face. Legolas gazed at the human, concern and awareness creeping into his pained features.

"What? Responsible for what?" Legolas asked kindly, pulling up to a stop so that he could study the man intently.

"Nothing —it doesn't matter—" Aragorn muttered, not willing to meet his friend's eyes. "Just forget I said anything."

"I won't." Legolas replied stubbornly, staying put. Aragorn looked desperately at the elf, finally meeting his eyes.

"Listen, I just. —_It doesn't matter_. Please, just drop it!" He whispered, pleading with his friend.

"No."

"Fine! But you have to rest..." Aragorn bargained. Legolas assented with a sigh, knowing better than perhaps anyone the danger they presented in staying in the land any longer than possible.

"So…" Legolas stated softly, swatting Aragorn's hands away with an annoyed expression that did not carry on into his voice as the man attempted to get a look at his wound once they were sitting down.

"I lost us the horses…" Aragorn whispered, refusing to met the elf's eyes as he took a steadying breathe.

"I already told you!" Legolas said not unkindly, tipping the man's chin up. "My horse will head back to the palace…I am sure he will lead yours there as well." He assured, though the human did not miss the flicker of sadness that was momentarily in his eyes.

"But we could be riding if not for me." Aragorn began again, trying to explain to the elf what he was feeling. "We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for _me._"

Legolas was stumped, falling silent and thinking with a small frown on his face. Aragorn took the moment to gather his own thoughts and , feeling guilter than ever, began digging in their only pack. Pulling out one of his last, battered and slightly smashed herbs, he added it too one of their drinking skins after crumpling it up into tiny flecks.

"Here, drink this. I will help with the pain I am sure you are in." he insisted, pressing it into the elf's hand, again not meeting his eyes. Legolas took it, but didn't drink any of it.

"Aragorn, please don't continue to blame yourself like this!" he insisted, clutching the man's forearm with desperation. He could not think of anything at all that was strong enough to convince the man of the misplaced blame, nothing that the human's wrapped thinking would not twists around and he was growing desperate.

"Please drink." Was all Aragorn said, his tone much sharper than it normally would have been.

"I will, _if_ you promise to at least consider my words." Legolas offered, playing another of his quickly diminishing cards. Aragorn hesitated for a moment, and then nodded, biting his lower lip with his teeth.

Legolas smiled softly back at him, lifting the skin and taking a several deep swallows. Suddenly he spluttered, chocking on the water and sending a mouthful or two down his front.

"What did you put in there!?" he cried, wiping at his face with a disgusted expression.

"Something special that my Ada likes to use." Aragorn said, moving behind the elf.

"Please, please tell me that you didn't just do what I think you have!" Legolas begged, twisting to face the man. Already his eyes were beginning to drop and his mind go fuzzy, a sure sign of having been drugged into a sleep. "We cannot stay…stay here. Follow…" Legolas began, stopping and trying to compose his thoughts as the herbs took control of his brain.

"North…" he finally slurred, still attempting to give some last minutes instructions when the enviable happened and he slumped back against the man as the he was knocked into oblivion. Aragorn caught him gently, having expected it, and easily picked the light elf up in his arm, starting off.

"It's better this way, Legolas, you'll see." He justified, a guilty expression on his face. "You won't be in as much pain or be overtaxing yourself and I can get us out of here, just you wait and see. I won't fail you again!"

**TBC...**

**Aragorn you idiot! *bangs head against the desk* that was not the smartest thing to do! **

**Review Reply:**

**The Phantom Dragon: **Legolas and Aragorn have indeed learned that it is useless to fight back against us! Thranduil would do well to take a leaf from his son's book! Thanks so much!**  
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**Nameless: **Oh, I don't know what to say. This chapter wasn't as scary though, far from it. But *evil laughter* that may change in the next few chapters! They still have a long ways to go! Thanks! :)**  
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	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Happy 4 of July to my fellow Americans! Celebrate safely! Thanks to all you amazing people who take the time to read! **

**Disclaimer: not mine. **

Chapter Ten

Aragorn shivered lightly as a small breeze swept past him, causing the branches above his head to dance lightly before becoming still once again. The elf that he had heaved across one shoulder in a fireman's carry stirred and the ranger paused, holding his breath in fear that his friend would wake.

When the prince did not, Aragorn relaxed and continued on. Stepping over the large roots of an even bigger tree, Aragorn again stopped for a moment, listening hard to what was going on around them and for any abnormalities. Often the greatest hint that something dangerous was coming was the lack of normal sounds, or Elladan and Elrohir had told him so.

The sounds of forest life where dulled and eerier in this evil stretch of land, and Aragorn felt a shiver running up his spine as if in warning. Faintly, though, he could hear the distant gurgling of a stream, which brightened his mood considerably and he changed his steps so that he would cross its path, hoping that it would help lead him out of this cursed place.

The trees where a confusing mass of practically gigantic look-a-likes that where covered in sticky webbing, and their crowed branches blocked out the sun light, which was the easiest and fastest way to tell directions….He was lost, and it was doing much more damage than just the bruising his pride.

Exhaling loudly in both fear and anger at himself, Aragorn gently shifted the elf upon his shoulder once more, before starting off again. He could feel Legolas' head loll against his back as he was jostled by the long strides and suppressed the urge to stop and lower the elf to the ground, knowing that he had to make it to the stream before either he or Legolas could take a rest.

An hour or so later, Aragorn's goal was achieved. The sound of the swiftly flowing stream flowing over sharp rocks was like music to the man's ears, creating a strangely beautiful scene in the midst of the dark and depressing forest.

Slowly, Aragorn lowered the elf to the ground, cushioning his head with his hand until the elf laid prostrate on the ground. Straightening up, he let a soft groan leave his lips as he rotated his arms, stretching the sore muscles and rejoicing in the freedom that they know had. Several pops accompanied the movement, and Aragorn relaxed again, feeling much better than before.

Legolas stirred feebly, a quiet noise escaping his lips as he twisted his face to the side, pressing it into the dirt before stilling again. Aragorn cast a sympathetic glance in his direction, before kneeling in the mud next to the water and cupping his hands in the cool liquid. Scoping up the water, he splashed it across his face and hair before shaking it off again like a dog.

The water refreshed him, and he felt a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he took a long drink before he turned and sighed, the smile faltering and changing into a worried frown as he cast his eyes upon the pale elf.

Dragging his friend a little closer to the water, he cupped in his hands in the water again before sprinkling the cold liquid across the elf's face with the hope that it would act as a catalyst in jolting his senses back to reality.

Legolas slowly came around, his face scrunching up as the pain hit him harder than anticipated. Groaning softly he flung an arm over his eyes , muttering something that Aragorn didn't catch and rolling over on his side so that he was no longer on his back.

"How are you feeling?" Aragorn asked anxiously, biting his lower lips as he waited for a reply and sitting back on his heels.

"Fine…" the elf moaned, sounding far from it with his slurred voice and weak tone. Aragorn just gave the elf a disbelieving look before shaking his head.

"I shouldn't have asked. You need to drink something while we have a water supply, can you sit up?"

Legolas uncovered one eyes, gazing at the young man with a glint in his eye. "Of course I can —and I don't need help!" he added with a glare as Aragorn reached out his arms towards him. The man paused, eyeing the elf with a critical eye.

The prince of Mirkwood was as pale as a moon and the creases in his normally flawless face indicated the pain he was attempting to hid, and this was before he had attempted to sit how. How much worse would the elf be off then?

"Somehow I don't believe you." Aragorn said quietly as he leaned forward and took Legolas' arm and pulled him into a sitting position. He watched with concern as dizziness clouded the elf's crystal blue ones and stole away their focused look that he was so use to seeing.

"I'm alright." Legolas said after a minute, and accepted the water skin that the man passed to him with a grateful nod. Glancing around, the elf frowned, trying to place their position. "Where are we, Estel?" he asked after a moment, confusion now color his face as his eyes flew over the land. Aragorn shifted, flushing lightly as he gave a small shrug of his shoulders.

"I don't exactly know…"

"What is this! A ranger lost!" Legolas teased, only paying a little bit of attention to the words leaving his lips for a sense of danger was creeping into his mind, red alerts that they needed to be on the move again.

"I never said I was lost." Aragorn protested with a bitter note. "I've just never been this far into the cursed forest before, and all the trees look exactly the same!" Ashamed and embarrassed the man looked away, studying the ground.

Legolas shot a sharp glance at the man, their conversation from before jumping to the front of his mind as he noted the slump of his friend's shoulders.

"Estel," he said softly, his tone no longer sarcastic but gentle. Aragorn glanced up, his feelings displayed across his face as plainly as if he had said them and Legolas felt a pang of sympathy. "You require too much of yourself, mellon-nin. You are doing all you can do, no one is asking more than that."

"But they should be!" Aragorn cried with a ferociousness that surprised the elf. " —Don't even try to tell me that all this isn't my fault!" Springing to his feet, the man began to pace back and forth beside the river, letting it all go, venting to the elf who sat on the ground, quietly listening.

It was nearly an quarter of an hour later that the man's voice faded into silence , letting the forest quiet sounds return once more. The man sighed heavily, casting himself back down upon the earth next to Legolas.

"Aragorn," Legolas said quietly but forcefully after the man looked up at him. "All your cares and worries have been misplaced! You are still very young, don't let yourself or others pressure you into thinking that you have to be perfect, or that you must be a behave and be a certain way. You just have to be you."

"But— " Aragorn started, not ready to let go of the doubt that had taken hold of him, but was silenced when Legolas's pressed one of his shaking fingers against his lips.

"Would I lie to you, Estel?" Legolas asked emphatically. Aragorn knew the answer, but still he searched deep the deep blue eyes before shaking his head "Then believe me when I tell you that you have to let it go. The burdens you force upon yourself are useless and heavy."

Aragorn opened his mouth, then shut it again with a thoughtful frown written on his face, but before he could fully ponder the prince's words, Legolas was speaking again.

"We need to leave, Estel. The stream flows to the south, so all we need to do is travel upriver and we should come upon some landmark before long."

Aragorn nodded slowly, still thinking, before seeming to jolt himself out of it.

"Your right." He said briskly, standing and shouldering the pack, as Legolas' quiver and bow still rested with their master, for Legolas was unwilling to part with them despite Aragorn's protest. Extending a hand, the man helped Legolas into a standing position, and started off.

The two friends now wasted no time, hurrying forward and no longer stopping for breaks, no matter how much they might have needed them. The ground beneath their feet grew rocky and treacherous as it slopped up hill, with long roots sticking out of the ground in an attempt to trip those who passed by.

Aragorn kept a hand firmly planted on Legolas' shoulders, afraid that the unsteady prince might fall and ripe his stitches again, or worse. Legolas, meanwhile, kept shooting Aragorn menacing looks but if he had to be honest with himself, he was glad for the support as his legs grew weary and began to tremble with the stain he placed on them.

However, much too soon for Aragorn's liking, Legolas' protest fell silent and he began to meekly accept the aid that the man offered, even leaning against him without a fuss during one practically nasty and steep incline.

"Legolas…?" he was finally forced to ask as his worry for his friend grew. Legolas, who was panting heavily, just shook his head, predicting what the man was going to ask and forestalling the question.

"I am fine. We can keep going."

Aragorn still looked doubtful, tightening his grip on the elf's arm as the prince wavered, and seemed to determine to ask his question again, just to be sure. But the elf, again, cut him off, looking at him earnestly. "The evil here weighs heavily upon my heart. The sooner we leave, the better off both of us will be."

Aragorn sighed, opening his mouth to reply when he was interpreted for the a third time, this time by a chilling scream which rented the air and made a shiver run up his back. Legolas, on the other hand, paled considerably and looked for a moment like he might faint.

"Spiders— " the prince whispered, fear tangible in his voice as Aragorn seized him about the waist and ducked under his arm. Speed now outweighed pride.

Running awkwardly on, Aragorn felt a twinge of fear entered his heart, they weren't going to make it, not like this, not with Legolas wounded, not with the spiders having such large advantage over them. The call sounded again, and Aragorn pushed both of them on even faster, their feet flying across the ground.

Legolas, however, was struggling. The wound to his back was burning with agony, not helped at all by Aragorn's arm which rubbed constantly against it. But the limb kept him from falling, which was quickly becoming a reality as the ground wavered in front of his eyes and evolved under his feet in sickening circles.

"Steady, Legolas, steady." Aragorn called desperately to the elf right, making him realize that he was wavering more than he had originally thought. The arm holding him tightened considerably as Legolas stumbled, and for moment he was being dragged onwards before he was able to once again find his feet.

A third scream filled the air sounding much closer to the two then before, but this was not the worst part, for this time another spider answered.

Legolas cursed softly, and Aragorn turned, throwing him an encouraging smile even though his own face was pale with fright. The prince didn't return it for he knew already how useless it was to run against spiders if they really wanted to eat you. Already the soft deadly clattering of claws and the scurrying of their feet had been picked up by his sensitive ears and he knew that was too late.

Suddenly coming to a stop, Legolas dragged his heels into the earth, spraying dirt everywhere in the processes. Aragorn let out a surprised gasp, almost being brought to the ground as well by the abrupt stop.

"What in the name of the Valar are you _doing_?!" Aragorn hissed in disbelief, attempting to tug his friend forward, but Legolas held his ground, fiery determatnion lighting up his face that would have sent any evil creature fleeing for its life.

"Making a last stand." Legolas said calmly, but passionately, while bracing one hand against a nearby tree while he pushed away from Aragorn's protective and supportive hold. "If we die, them I am going to go down fighting!"

Aragorn nodded slowly, his chin coming up proudly as he straightened his back, drawing his sword free and twirling it a couple of times in preparation. A hard glint had entered his eyes, one much like Legolas'.

Smiling gently at the ranger, Legolas expressed a thousand things that would now remain unsaid, and nocked his bow.

Slowly, out of the darkness that Mirkwood was famous for, eyes began to appear, and then several menacing shapes began to form. These forms evolved into the hairy bodies of countless, giant spiders that reeked of evil, and brought the sound of death with every move they made.

**TBC...**

**Oh dear. A cliff hanger ...again! Don't you guys love me?**

**Review Reply:**

**Nameless: **Thranduil would slam him into next week! Legolas won't be very happy either, though, so either way Aragorn is in trouble! Thanks!


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